Ramblings...

On the adoption front:
nothing new.
We do hope to go this weekend to get our passports. It is something we could have done anytime really but keep putting off. No more though, it needs to be done. I just hope lots of good tippers are hungry on Friday as I will need to make a fair amount on that shift to be able to swing it all. 4 passports are not cheap.

Other news:

Some of you may know that I have an aunt that has adopted once before in the states and is a position to possibly adopt her second baby. Her oldest is a cutie and I think he is ready for a sibling. She heard of a lady wanting a family to adopt her unborn child and has been working that way, even met with the mother. Nothing is concrete though and the babies due date is coming soon. I know she has to be anxious as I am quite anxious myself. No news is good new right? I'll keep you all posted and hopefully wittin the next week or two I'll have a new cousin for my girls to play with!

Homeschooling is about to get into full swing. We are trying something new this year. It is called a "Virtual School". It is basically a cross between public school and homeschooling. I am excited as the curriculum they use, K12, is very appealing to me. It is mastery based (you don't move on until you have mastered the idea at hand) and it has a heavy emphasis on learning through literature. I am a BIG proponet of reading. If you teach your kids to read, and to read well, they essentially have the world to learn about. The written word is powerful and full of information...I like the idea of learning to appreciate the classics and avoiding "light reading series." anyhow, we do have an assigned teacher with whom we will have contact throughout the year. She is responsible for making sure we are progressing at an acceptable rate as well as mastering the curriculum. She is also there if I would need any help or have any questions/concerns. Just like a public school we are required to teach so many hours, certain subjects, etc. But unlike a public school it is just us! I like that and my kids like that.
WHAT ABOUT SOCIALIZATION! That is the very thing I am trying to avoid, not socialization, but the type of socialization that is going on in our local school district, even at the elementary level. We are very involved in our community, church, and family...My kids already know how to be around people and will continue to grow in that as good as, and likely better, than a child at public schools. For anyone thinking I'm nuts, that is okay, I've dealt with that and will continue to deal with that. However, as a parent how much more involved can I be in my child's education than this...I bring that up as that is the major complaint of teachers. If they had more one on one time with a student or if the parents were more involved they could accomplish more. Not a problem here, don't mind if I do! Also, the virtual school we chose has been rated top in our state and has a better academic rating than any of our local schools (this past year it rated at effective, while the local schools range from academic emergency to continuous improvement.)

Long post, sorry about that. I'll try to check in a bit more before we go on vacation!